1971 Duster, Granny Special

[wes beem]

Front floor pans and Paint showed up today.

Passenger one almost sat right down into place perfectly with no persuading.

The driver one needs some finessing.

I think ill fabricate the middle bits myself out of some sheetsteel, but I'm going to buy a set of rears since they are obtainable.

In the meantime, waiting to have enough money to buy the rest of the floor pan stuff, I'll keep sanding away and getting the body ready for the Murdered out Hotrod Satin Black.

 

[65TerrorCuda]

Firedome hemi and a 5 speed please.
Awesome project

 

[wes beem]

Put in a good 5 hours today wetsanding.

Full passenger side, trunk lid, hood, and tail panel are done. Spun the car around, and on to driver side fenders, quarters, and roof next.

Deck lid will be removed to do the bottom side as well.

 

[wes beem]

Been a minute or two since I've posted an update, mostly because ive done nothing but spend hours upon hours sanding and priming in preparation for paint Lol.


But here's a nice Update.... Bench seat start to finish stripped to bare springs and redone with legendary auto upholstery.

 

[sireland67]

Seat looks good, I hated doing mine years ago, the covers were real tight.
Black, butt burners. I did mine in white.

 

[wes beem]

Seat looks good, I hated doing mine years ago, the covers were real tight.
Black, butt burners. I did mine in white.

I love the look of a white interior but good lord id be horrified to ever sit on it for fear of ruining it! xD

 

[wes beem]

Busy day.

Finished up exterior sanding and started prepping jam areas. Not going for perfection, but shell look way better in the satin black than she did in dirty puke green

 

[wes beem]

Got the deck lid underside and interior doors/jams done in Hotrod Black. Next the hood will get removed and the under side of it will be done to match. Then on to the outside body panels

Ignore the Holy floors
Those will get fixed here soon.

 

[75slant6]

Good progress. I’ll be following along.

 

[wes beem]

Got some more work done today, prepped the hood and engine bay, taped it all off, and painted them in the same hotrod black that i did on the jams and decklid ext.

I couldn't get to the K member area without hitting wet paint so ill be going back tomorrow to get all that down low stuff i couldnt access this time.

Once that's buttoned up its on to the Main panels early next week!

Ignore the overspray allover the hoses wires and master cylinder ext, that's all getting replaced with brand new stuff.

 

[wes beem]

Today was the Real D Day, painted the body shell and got it done, my first time ever spraying before and i'm super happy with how it came out.

 

[wes beem]

After curing overnight and really flattening out nice.

 

[mopowers]

After curing overnight and really flattening out nice.


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That looks great! It's hard to tell from the photo, but what spray gun did you end up using for the paint?

 

[wes beem]

That looks great! It's hard to tell from the photo, but what spray gun did you end up using for the paint?

The cheapest Spray gun harbor freight had. Lol. There's an inside joke in my inner circle around WHY i did that when we have a pair of really nice devilbliss guns

 

[71 Duster 440]

Impressive progress! Following this one for more updates.

 

[wes beem]

Fitted up the Charger/Barracuda Style Gas Cap today. Still waiting on the adaptor that fills in the gap, but I couldn't wait to mock it up ^___^

 

[wes beem]

Started attacking the floor pans today, Removed the driver side rear section, massaged the pan to fit pretty close, and then started tacking it in and massaging as I went. Don't have pics of it welded in yet, but moving on to center area tomorrow. Nobody except AMD makes the center area and they are out of stock backorder with no return date so ill be cobbling it together as best i can from flat sheet Steel

 

[wes beem]

Put in some work this past week, got the floor pans fitted and secured in place and ready to fully weld in. I am not super thrilled with how it looks but i did the best i could with what I had. No one but AMD makes the center section i needed, and i am not a fab shop so in the future Ill be revisiting the floors whenever the AMD Full floor pan drops come back in stock off back order with no return date...if they're ever available again at all.

Also got the trunk weatherstripping installed and the trunk put back on, tested it and NO LEAKS. So pretty pleased with that.

Installed the tail panel stripe kit, not fond of it at all, lots of issues, poor fitment, poor adhesion.
My plan is to pull these ones back off and once cars drivable im going to take it to a guy who specializes in vinyl wrap and have him freehand the full stripe kit himself.
The price I was quoted wasn't bad at all.

I Also got some little things done like reinstalling the freshly painted marker light housings and reflectors as well as Dropped off both of my bumpers, my side mirror, and all of my window/windshield/back glass trim at powdercoat shop to be done in high gloss black to contrast the Flatter Satin sheen on the main body panels.

 

[Stephen Mulkey]

Keep plugging along it's looking pretty good.

 

[wes beem]

Installed the tail lights, (i know the driver one is cracked, I've got one on order) But it really looks to be shaping up now.

Can't wait to get my glass trim and bumpers back from powdercoat so i can put them on too.

 

[ESP47]

You aren't messing around. Wish I could get things done as quickly as you! Keep it up.

 

[wes beem]

Got my bumpers and Front/rear windshield trim, and side mirror back from powdercoat.

All i had time for today was putting the back bumper on but LOOK AT THAT ***!

I also have a replacement tail light for that cracked one I gotta install
.

 

[wes beem]

Back at it again....

Rearend disc brake setup for an 05 jeep liberty fitting like a glove so far.

Waiting on some wheel studs to come tomorrow so i can put the axles back in,

and finish the brake/rotor install then test fit my 275 60 15 wheels/tire combo.

 

[wes beem]

Picked up my 2000, 360 Magnum motor today, and started tearing all of the bullshit off.

Goal on this one is to pull the heads, see what she looks like underneath,

maybe send it off for a valve job and mild port work, make sure the heads arent cracked ext,

then put them back on with new springs and a mild cam. Not getting too crazy with it.

Then ill be picking up a second Motor later to Build a 408 Stroker.

 

[dirty white boy]

Back at it again....

Rearend disc brake setup for an 05 jeep liberty fitting like a glove so far.

Waiting on some wheel studs to come tomorrow so i can put the axles back in,

and finish the brake/rotor install then test fit my 275 60 15 wheels/tire combo.




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can you give more details on that rear end and measurements please!